Text Analysis

A text analysis restates the essential contents of a text in a much more limited number of words than the original text. Writing a text analysis involves presenting the main ideas in alternative wording and leaving out most examples and minor points.

Content
Early in your text analysis, you should provide a short statement that lets the reader know what the reviewed text is about and what the aim or purpose of the text is. You should then give an overview of the main points of the text and outline the key evidence supporting the author’s claims or arguments. There is no need to recount all the data or evidence offered by the author; instead, present the information that is most compelling and convincing. Make sure you have presented enough material for your reader to be able to follow the logic of each important argument or section.

Structure
You should roughly follow the original text’s order of presentation and its chain of argument. Your analysis should give the same relative emphasis to each area of the original text. This helps provide your reader with an accurate view of the original text. Be sure to follow the structure and advice given to you by your teacher as well.

Style
You will need to use reporting verbs to help to communicate your summary of the text. Reporting verbs are words like argues, states and claims. Here are some ways that they can be used:

Sommers (2002) argues that…..
Joling and Pitel (2008) describe the situation as…..
The authors believe that…..
The research indicates that…..

Tip

Once you have written your text analysis, reread it with the following questions in mind:

Would someone who has not read the original text have a good sense of what it is about after reading my text analysis?
Could I read it aloud to the author in the honest belief that it accurately summarises her or his work?

If your answer to either question is ‘No’, then you need to modify your work!